US Resumes Visa Processing for Ghanaian and Other Foreign Students, Introduces New Social Media Rule

• The United States has resumed the issuance of student visas after it was temporarily suspended in May this year
• Applicants seeking student visas are now required to allow social media vetting by the American consular offices
• Social media users have shared their views on the new requirement announced by the US State Department

The United States has announced that it has resumed issuing student visas to foreign nationals who would like to study in the country.

This new development comes after the US State Department said in May that it would suspend the issuance of student visas to foreigners.

According to an Associated Press report on Wednesday, June 18, the State Department directed consular offices to ensure that students seeking to study in the US make their social media accounts available for screening.

With this, applicants are expected to adjust their account privacy to public. The move is also aimed at determining whether applicants desirous of studying in the US are hostile towards the country's culture and principles.

Applicants who fail to adhere to the new requirements could have their visas denied.

"Under new guidance, consular officers will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting of all student and exchange visitor applicants."

“The enhanced social media vetting will ensure we are properly screening every single person attempting to visit our country,” the statement read.

This new visa requirement comes at a time when Ghana and 35 other countries have been tasked by the US government to improve the vetting of their citizens or risk being banned from entering.

New student visa requirement begins on June 25

US-based immigration lawyer Akua Aboagye, in a comment to YEN.com.gh, disclosed that screening of social media accounts as part of requirements for students visas begins on June 25, 2025.

She explained that the new rule applies who want to students to study on a full-time basis at a college, university or high school, or other academic institution in the U.S.

It also applies to students seeking to pursue non-academic programs in the US, such as technical or vocational schools, as well as students on cultural exchange programs.

"The release also instructed posts to expand their screening and vetting procedures for F, M, and J visa applicants. The new procedures will take effect on June 25, 2025. Although the cable itself has not been publicly released, parts of the update were confirmed in an official statement on the Department of State’s website."

Additionally, lawyer Akua Aboagye added that this new policy would affect persons who have already been interviewed and have pending applications.

"This policy applies even to applicants who were already interviewed or have pending applications. Before this change, applicants were asked to list their social media handles on the DS-160 form, but there was no requirement to make accounts public. Officers could only view what was already visible to the public, and unless something in the application raised concerns, social media was not deeply reviewed. That is the key change under the new policy. Every applicant is now expected to allow full access to their social media activity. If your profiles are private or cannot be reviewed, that could lead to further scrutiny or a visa denial," she told YEN.com.gh.

Applicants without social media could face more scrutiny

On the issue of persons who fall short of the new requirement by failing to include social media accounts, Lawyer Akua Aboagye disclosed such applicants may face further scrutiny.

She, however, dispelled the notion that such applicants would automatically be denied visas.

"The Department of State’s public release does not directly address what happens if an applicant does not use social media. So far, there is no formal guidance stating that lack of social media will automatically lead to denial. However, internal sources referencing the classified cable suggest that if an applicant’s accounts are private or otherwise restricted, officers are instructed to treat the case like any other where requested information is missing. They are told to consider whether the lack of access signals evasiveness or raises doubts about the applicant’s credibility. While this would not automatically trigger a denial, it could lead to further administrative review, additional questioning, or delays. In some cases, this could result in denial if officers determine the applicant has not been sufficiently transparent or responsive."

"If a consular officer cannot review an applicant’s social media because the accounts are nonexistent, they may turn to other sources to conduct background checks or assess credibility. That said, simply not having social media should not count against an applicant, as long as the officer is satisfied that the applicant is being truthful and transparent. There may likely be a distinction between not having social media at all and actively deleting it right before an interview. The concern is less about the absence of social media and more about whether someone appears to be hiding or withholding information.".

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Reactions to US vetting social media accounts

Social media users have shared their views on the new requirement announced by the US for securing student visas.

@ThePoliticalHQ stated:

“Individuals have free speech rights, and those free speech rights apply to social media when it comes to the government treating them differently based on the things they say on social media. This is highly unconstitutional.”

@Eva_eva_P reacted:

“Once the state forces foreign students to hand over social media, it becomes 'standard procedure.' Then employers, universities, and government agencies start applying the same demands to citizens. This is how democracies slide into authoritarianism, not overnight, but one normalization at a time.”

@ConservativeH2O stated:

“In today’s world, it’s perfectly logical. Many nations require social media access for airline travel or other reasons. Some, like the UK, put you in prison for dissenting from the radical left.”

@Twitsqueak added:

“Access to social media accounts makes a lot of sense given the anti-American sentiment, protests, violence, and destruction we’ve witnessed over the past couple of years.”

US Embassy transitions to new website

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the US Embassy in Accra in 2024 officially moved to a new visa services provider.

The switch marks the end of access to the previous website and services, which had been discontinued in August 2024.

With this, applicants could visit the new website to create an account, which would be used to update preferences.

Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh